Many times in life, we set out on a journey to make a lasting memory. Never is it more true than at Christmas time. We start traditions, we search for the perfect gift, we take many photos. But I have found through the years, that the most memorable things come from unexpected, simple, childlike moments. Ironically, usually they go unnoticed in the memory banks of those around me as having touched me so deeply.
Throughout my childhood every summer there were road trips back to Minnesota. My family would pack up the camper and head across the Midwest, visiting relatives along the way. One stop we always made was my aunt and uncles house in Omaha, Nebraska. One summer on our stay there, my cousin let me play with his stuffed monkey. I was smitten. I fell in love with him and was inseparable from him. When it came time to leave, I said my long tearful goodbye. As we loaded into the camper to continue our journey, my cousin came out of the house carrying that monkey. With outstretched arms he said, "You can have him." The joy I felt was immeasurable. I loved that little monkey, and I named him Chimp. I know, I know my less than creative names for my animals started young. (I have a dog named Puppy and a turtle named Turtleman).
That was 40 plus years ago. And through the years I'm not really sure what ever happened to Chimp. But from time to time I still think about him and how much he meant to me. Chimp was an important part of my childhood memories and at times I am moved to share stories about my adventures with him.
Last month a brown cardboard box arrived. Expectantly I opened it, and tucked inside was "Chimp". Tears stung my eyes as I pulled him from the box and held him close. I was given a gift from my past. The first time I was given Chimp there must have been something in my eyes that my cousin recognized as love. The second time Chimp entered my life there must have been something in my heart, in my telling of his stories, that someone very dear to me saw, and searched through eBay to find him.
I couldn't wait for the grand-kids to meet him. But I was a little worried. Upon closer inspection of Chimp I realized he was a little bit....... creepy. As a child I thought he was adorable! I need not have feared though because upon first sight my granddaughter picked him up and dragged him to the other room. She promptly took him to the couch, laid him on her lap and gave him the biggest kiss!
I say all this because when I told my parents about my new reunion with Chimp, they only vaguely remembered him. Same with my sister. How could this be? He was my first love! I'm sure my cousin did not set out to give him to me to make a lifelong, lasting, special memory. He may not even remember doing it. But that's the thing. We never know when something we do or something we say will make a lasting impression in someone else's life. Sometimes it's the strangest, simplest little things, the everyday things, that touch our heart in unexpected ways.
This Christmas I will honor the traditions that my family has so graciously set out before me. I will search for the perfect gift, and I will capture the timeless photos. But I will also remember that it will probably be the thing I don't see, the thing I didn't plan, the thing that has no pomp and circumstance, the simple things, the thing I wont remember, that will take a front row seat in my child's memory bank.